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STARZ! Free Preview Weekend on DIRECTV February 18-20

STARZ! Free Preview Weekend on DIRECTV February 18-20

DIRECTV Customers Are Eligible to Receive a $20.00 Best Buy Gift Card With New Starz Super Pak Subscription

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Feb. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Starz Entertainment Group LLC (SEG) and DIRECTV, Inc. are offering an exclusive free movie weekend to all DIRECTV customers from 9:00 p.m. ET on February 18 to midnight ET February 20. New DIRECTV customers who sign up for the Starz Super Pak during the free preview weekend are eligible to receive a $20 Best Buy gift card redeemable at Best Buy stores located in 48 states nationwide.

The free preview will consist of 12 channels of the Starz Super Pak including: STARZ!, Black STARZ!, STARZ! Theater, Encore, Love Stories, Westerns, Mystery, Action, True Stories and WAM!.

The free preview weekend presents DIRECTV customers with big Hollywood blockbusters available exclusively on STARZ!, including Viggo Mortenson in Hidalgo, Jennifer Garner in "13 Going on 30" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," the final installment of New Line Cinema's award-winning trilogy.

"The Starz Super Pak lineup offers our customers quality movie choice and convenience," said Neal Tiles, executive vice president, marketing for DIRECTV. "Starz Entertainment Group consistently delivers first-rate programming, and we are happy to give our customers this opportunity to enjoy their hit movies with the added incentive of a $20 Best Buy gift card."

DIRECTV customers who sign up for the Starz Super Pak during the free preview will be awarded a $20 Best Buy gift card with proof of a new two-month Starz Super Pak subscription.

"The free weekend preview is consistent with our ultimate goal of adding value to DIRECTV households," added Keno Thomas, senior vice president, affiliate sales with Starz Entertainment Group. "The Starz Super Pak provides an unparalleled library of movies, and each channel delivers something new and unique to movie lovers."

The Starz Super Pak delivers a steady supply of new hit movies and classic films every month. New hit movies available exclusively on STARZ! include: "Hidalgo," "13 Going on 30," "The Human Stain," "The Butterfly Effect" and "Hellboy." Movies coming to STARZ! in 2005 include: "Kill Bill Volume 2," "The Incredibles," "The Aviator," "The Bourne Supremacy," "The Village," "Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement," "Van Helsing" and "National Treasure."

No sponsorship, endorsement, approval or responsibility for this promotion by Best Buy is intended or implied. Best Buy is not affiliated with Starz Entertainment Group or DIRECTV.

DIRECTV Selects TANDBERG's MPEG-4 Encoders for HD Expansion

DIRECTV Selects TANDBERG's MPEG-4 Encoders for HD Expansion

DIRECTV has selected TANDBERG Television's MPEG-4 AVC technology in a deal valued at $9 million. DIRECTV, which has more than 13.9 million satellite TV customers in the U.S., will commission the first of 26 MPEG-4 AVC HD enabled transponders in the summer of 2005, marking the first North American launch of advanced HD encoding technology by a satellite direct-to-home (DTH) provider. The multiplexers will combine the MPEG-4 AVC encoded HD channels into one bandwidth efficient stream for transmission over satellite. With the launch of the new services, DIRECTV will have the ability to bring local HD programming to most of the U.S. population.

Each fully redundant system will feature the TANDBERG EN5990, the world's first real-time HD encoder for MPEG-4 AVC and a TANDBERG 1+1 HD multiplexing system. The EN5990 is designed to operate in real-time TV delivery environments with no frame dropping. Key features include extensive video pre-processing for noise reduction and horizontal picture resolution resizing. It is based on the company's HD ICE platform, an array of high-end, general purpose DSPs and FPGAs. The HD ICE platform is also the basis of TANDBERG's EN5980 Windows Media 9(TM) HD encoder.

The encoding systems will be installed at DIRECTV's Los Angeles Broadcast Center and Castle Rock, Co. Broadcast Center along with multiple TANDBERG nCompass control systems between the two sites.
http://www.tandbergtv.com
15-Feb-05

* In September 2004, DIRECTV announced the planned launch of four new next-generation satellites aimed at significantly expanding its programming capacity in local and national high-definition (HD) channels, as well as capacity for new interactive and enhanced services and standard-definition programming.
* The first two of these satellites, Spaceway 1 and Spaceway 2, will launch in 2005 with programming being offered to consumers by the middle of the year. These satellites will have the capacity for more than 500 local HD channels. With these satellites, DIRECTV will have the ability to bring local HD programming to most of the U.S. population, as well as continuing to expand standard-definition local offerings and other enhancements.
* The next two satellites, DIRECTV 10 and DIRECTV 11, will launch in early 2007. These satellites will have the capacity for more than 1,000 additional local HD channels, more than 150 national HD channels, and other new programming offerings. These satellites will provide DIRECTV the capability to bring local and national HD programming and other advanced services to every U.S. household. Consumers will be able to receive all of these services, as well as existing DIRECTV(R) programming, with a single small satellite dish.
* DIRECTV 10 and DIRECTV 11, to be built by Boeing, will be among the largest and most powerful Ka-band satellites ever launched. The satellites, which will take advantage of DIRECTV's advanced transmission techniques and state-of-the-art video compression technology, will deliver national HD programming and will be capable of supporting spot beams carrying local HD broadcast channels in all 50 states. Boeing will also build a third satellite for DIRECTV that will serve as a ground spare.
* The Spaceway 1 and Spaceway 2 satellites, also being built by Boeing, are approaching completion and the satellites were recently converted to be capable of offering both video and a broadband Internet service. Boeing is also constructing a third Spaceway satellite. "Today's announcement is one of the most significant in the history of DIRECTV. We are reinforcing our commitment to best serve our customers with the most attractive and compelling array of programming services available," said Mitch Stern, president and CEO, DIRECTV.

Channels Not Used?

What are these channels being used by DirecTV? If, you never check out the channels in the upper end of the listings on DirecTV, you will notice channels listed as "PMN", "VZON" and so forth. These are private channels lease by DirecTV to make them more money. It's like a LAN network for companies to post live videos on a system that is less costly than starting their own system.Regular customers of DirecTV will not be able to see these channel's programing, due to the scambling done by DirecTv. These channels have been there from the start of DirecTV.

What is going on with DirecTv World Programming? Moving all the Non-English Channels to Channels in 1000?

DIRECTV Announces Plan to Launch Next Generation Satellites to Provide Dramatic

DIRECTV Announces Plan to Launch Next Generation Satellites to Provide Dramatic

Interesting concept. And the cable companies said it can't be done?!?!?! Hmm..

The 4th satellite is already up in the air, and Directv is starting tests on the new one. We hope they will add programing that everyone wants. I know they are in the works to offer ESPN 3 now. We will wait to see what other channels will come up in the next 3 months.

What channels would you like to see on the channels?

DIRECTV Mix Channels

DIRECTV Mix channels offer customers the ability to view up to six live channels, all on one screen. Customers with interactive-enabled DIRECTV receivers can use their remote control to listen and direct tune to any of the channels on the screen.

The DIRECTV Mix channels include:

-- DIRECTV News Mix - DIRECTV Channel 102 - Offers an instant
glimpse of the most current news stories from the most widely
viewed news networks, such as CNN, Headline News, CNBC, MSNBC,
Fox News Channel and The Weather Channel.

-- DIRECTV Sports Mix - DIRECTV Channel 104 - Delivers the best
in televised sports - customers are able to see popular game
match-ups and get a current look at what's on in televised
sporting events from networks, such as ESPN, ESPN2, The NFL
Network, The Golf Channel, The SPEED Channel and Outdoor Life
Network.

-- DIRECTV Kids Mix - DIRECTV Channel 111 - Offers families a
snapshot in to the most popular children's television networks
available, such as Animal Planet, The Disney Channel, Toon
Disney, Cartoon Network, Noggin and Nickelodeon.

DIRECTV Sports and News Mix channels are hosted by DIRECTV anchors -- based at DIRECTV's Los Angeles Broadcast Center (LABC) -- who give customers top headlines and highlights, and help them plan their TV viewing.

How many people will watch these channels? I just think it is a waste of valuble channel spaces for programing that customers would want, or been begging for. I think they are trying to coming up with some added features that Dish network does not offer, so they can place ads all over the place, that they are offering something "NEW" to the channels. I wish they would add more movie channelss, or at least offer channels for the "TIVO" type people. At least that would be "NEW" to make it differant to customers.

What do you think? Speak out call, email, post your feedback to directv.com

Satellite Broadband Set to be a Major Force in 2005 ?

Broadband Satellite Set to be a Major Force in 2005

DSL and cable often are two major players in broadband internet arena. Interesting enough, satellite plan to be another major force for broadband internet in 2005.

There are several technologies to enable satellite broadband available to consumers such as WildBlue ...

Satellite TV: Cheaper and Better Than Cable TV

DIRECTV and Dish Network are two main satellite tv providers. There are many satellite tv dealers online and offline. However, online satellite tv dealers can offer lowest prices by price competition and direct online orders, not like local stores with all invertories. All equipment like dish, receivers ...